Now that turkey hunting season has ended, my thoughts are slowly starting to turn in other directions, like checking on my trees stands, taking about deer season with deer hunting visionary Rod McBride, and the status of the Massachusetts State Senate budget, which has now been released and will likely be taken up by the Senate, along with many different amendments this coming week. And of particular interest to me, and hopefully to all sportsmen and women in the Commonwealth, are the following amendments (in a summary format) that they’ll be dealing with very, very soon!
Ammend #4: “The Inland Fisheries and Game reimbursement fund, filed by Senator Anne Gobi,” which allows reimbursement to the Division of Fish and Game for free and reduced priced licenses, which last year was over $1 million.
Ammend #5: “Wildlife Habitat Management through sale of conservation stamps, filed by Senator Anne Gobi,” which would establish a Wildlife Management account through the sales of conservation stamps, within the Inland Fisheries and Game Fund.
Ammend #16: “Use of Crossbows for Hunting, filed by Senator Anne Gobi,” which would allow the use of crossbows for hunting.
Ammend #17: “Hunting Setbacks with Bow and Arrow, filed by Senator Anne Gobi,” this section would reduce bow hunting setbacks from a dwelling from 500 feet to 250 feet, aligning with setbacks in neighboring states.
Ammend #18: “Sunday Bow Hunting,” filed by Senator Anne Gobi, which would authorize archery hunting for deer on Sunday.
Every single one of these amendments carries a significant amount of importance for sportsmen and women wanting to protect their sport and to prevent laws that need changing, particularly these amendments, which are built on the spirit of compromise and common sense — like amendment No. 18 on Sunday hunting, archery only.
It’s no great secret that I have long been skeptical about Sunday hunting in Massachusetts. That said, I’m not totally backing away from that position, even now. But I see amendment No. 18 as a pure compromise, meant to find common ground between sportsmen, non-hunters, and even anti hunters — not extremists, who I just simply shoo away these days, but anti-hunters who you can at least have a good conversation with and then agree to disagree. Even they can understand what the spirit of compromise is, and the spirit of this amendment is as pure a compromise as I have ever seen, and I support it 100 percent.
It also forces us to take another hard look at the Blue Laws which prohibited Sunday hunting along with many other strange, but interesting things, and start to realize that they’ve come full circle now with reasonable ideas and compromises being brought forward that finally make sense… and with the facts to support them. Today, that Sunday hunting Blue Law is only denying sportsmen and women, from across the state, the right to introduce their children, family members, and friends, to hunting. These days, they’re competing with so many other things, that this additional day may possibly be their only opportunity to be together, and go hunting together if they choose to, especially on the weekend.
Landowners can also continue to enjoy a day of not hearing guns shooting while feeling very safe, or at least they should feel very safe, knowing if hunters are out on a Sunday, there only using a bow and arrow, which significantly changes the playing field in an already safe activity. And by the way, it becomes safer every single year thanks to the additional training efforts put forth by MassWildlife, which continues to teach people how to hunt safely and responsibly. Also, providing that extra Sunday for archery hunting could easily invigorate essential hunter recruitment and retention efforts. This would also assist in the effort to manage an expanding whitetail deer herd, while pumping millions of extra dollars into local economies, allowing for more habitat restoration and conservation efforts through the sales of hunting license, stamps, permits, along with the purchasing of hunting equipment.
Until now, the Massachusetts Conservation Alliance has been leading the charge in this by hiring a lobbyist to help, and John Kellstrand, President of the Massachusetts Sportsmen’s Counsel has been pushing this change for years. Right now, all the amendments stand poised in the House budget for debate. However, more support is needed with only a short time to get word to state senators regarding how you feel about all the amendments. Electronic communication will make the biggest impact, but any way you can reach them will most certainly help. And if you don’t know your senator’s name you can find it online (https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator)
Your involvement is extremely important in making sure these amendments end up on the Governor’s desk, waiting for his signature, when all the dust finally settles!
Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and sportsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, and a 2019 inductee into the N.E. Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Joe is also on the Quaker Boy Game Calls and Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Pro-Staff.